Recent studies by the University of Michigan and the University of Washington, Seattle have linked poor vision with an increased risk for cognitive disorders.

The importance of routine eye care cannot be under stated. Decreased vision due to cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration or other eye-realted conditions have long been associated with poor quality of life, but evidence now suggests that it could be a contributor for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

At the University of Michigan, elderly people with untreated vision problems were found to have a risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease 9 times greater than those whose vision was treated.

In Seattle, it was found that visual impairment is associated with both an increased risk and an increased clinical severity of Alzheimer’s disease.

In the United States, an estimated 5.4 million people are living with Alzheimer’s disease, and someone develops the disease every 69 seconds. Unless something is done, as many as 16 million Americans will have Alzheimer’s in 2050 and someone will develop the disease every 33 seconds. In 2010, 14.9 million family members and friends provided 17 billion hours of unpaid care to those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias – care valued at $202.6 billion.

Iowa EyeCare is proud to announce the arrival of “Erin’s World” frames.

The “Erin’s World” frame line is uniquly designed to fit children and adults with Down’s Syndrome.  The bridge between lenses is positioned lower than other frames to better fit individuals with smaller noses.  Erin’s World frames come in variety of styles and sizes.

For more information on Erin’s World visit:

http://www.specs4us.com/index.html

Iowa EyeCare has office locations in Cedar Rapids, Robins, and Marion, Iowa.  We would be happy to fill your current prescription at our office laboratory in Marion.  If you need a glasses prescription, our eye doctors are also available Monday through Saturday.  Please call 319-377-2222 to schedule an appointment for an eye exam.

Iowa EyeCare remains committed to offering the very best for our patients. New innovations in progressive addition lens technology are allowing our patients to see better and enjoy their glasses more then ever before.

Starting near age 40, most people will need extra help seeing things clearly up close.  This is due to a phenomenon called Presbyopia.  Presbyopia occurs naturally in 100% of all individuals.  Presbyopia is mild initally, but continues to worsen slowly over time.  The degree of presbyopia is often a factor of age.  Progressive lenses are designed to correct for all degrees of severity in Presbyopia.

Progressive lenses (also called a “no-line” bifocal) are designed to correct vision for every distance.   Not all progressive lenses are the same, however.  Choosing quality lenses for your glasses will help you see better, with fewer distortions.  Iowa EyeCare is proud to offer the latest technology in progressive lens design.  Among these is a premium “top-of-the-line” lens called TruClear HD.

To learn more about TruClear HD and other vision-related products at www.Iowaeyecare.com.

Blur due to Irregular Cornea

Refractive surgery, corneal transplants, infections and corneal syndromes like Keratoconus are among the many potential causes for irregular corneas. An irregular cornea results in symptoms of blur and distortion that glasses and most contact lenses are unable to correct.  Visual symptoms from an irregular cornea are constant, but often worsen in dim light when the pupil is more dilated.

In the past, some of these individuals were fit with rigid gas-permeable (RGP) contact lenses.  RGP lenses do not conform to the shape of the eye like a soft lens does.  Instead the RGP’s rigid structure allows tears to fill in behind the lens and create an optically smooth surface for light to enter the eye and provide improved vision.  Unfortunately, RGP lenses are too uncomfortable for most patients, are easily lost, and can cause scarring to the front surface of the eye.

ClearKone Lens Design

ClearKone is a new hybrid contact lens product that has both the comfort of a soft lens combined with the acuity benefits of a rigid lens.  ClearKone is an improvement upon other similar hybrid products because its unique design is more comfortable and easier to remove than older hybrid lenses.

Special expertise is required to fit the ClearKone lens.  Currently, Dr. Ryan Nelson, optometrist at Iowa EyeCare in Cedar Rapids, is the only physician in  Iowa approved fit ClearKone lenses.  Dr. Nelson gives each ClearKone candidate extensive one-on-one time during the fitting process to ensure a good contact lens fit the first time.

“The ClearKone design is sure to revolutionize the way patients with irregular corneas are managed.  Some of my patients have been overwhelmed with emotion when they experience the ClearKone lens for the first time,” says Dr. Nelson.

To schedule an appointment or to learn more about ClearKone lenses, call Iowa EyeCare at 319-377-2222.

Contact us at www.iowaeyecare.com.

By Dr. David Christensen

An ophthalmic migraine is a temporary loss of vision, thought to be caused by blood-flow changes to the brain’s visual center.

Ophthalmic migraines are common and often occur in otherwise healthy individuals.  They may or may not be combined with a headache. Visual symptoms may last only a few brief minutes, or they may linger for 30-45 minutes.   Because the symptoms of an ophthalmic migraine are sometimes similar to those that are associated with severe vision problems, such as retinal detachment or transient retinal artery blockage, it is important to contact an eye doctor right away.  The doctors at Iowa EyeCare are specially trained to diagnose all retinal problems, including ophthalmic migraine.

Ophthalmic migraines often occur spontaneously, without warning, but may be triggered in some individuals by stress, diet, medications, or changes in hormones.  It is very important to stay safe during an ophthalmic migraine.  If you are driving, pull over and wait for the visual symptoms to stop before continuing down the road.

Dr. Ryan W. Nelson

Worsening Distance Blur Caused By Myopia

Nearsightedness generally means that objects in the distance are blurry.  Another term for nearsightedness is “myopia”.   It’s been estimated that 20% of all Americans have some degree of the refractive condition called myopia. 
 As with all refractive eye conditions, myopia is the result of eye “mis-shapeness”.  For those who are nearsighted, the eye may be longer from front to back, or the cornea (the clear window in front of the iris) may be too steeply curved.

Myopia will commonly start out mild during adolescence and get progressively worse before it levels off and becomes stable.  The final amount of nearsightedness someone will end up with is unpredictable, but most eye doctors believe it’s a combination of genetics and the amount of near activity.

A common myth is that corrective lenses will make nearsightedness worse.  This is simply not true.  Glasses will allow someone with myopia to see clearly, but will not make the degree of myopia get better or worse.  LASIK vision correction, however, can permanently correct for nearsightedness, farsightedness, and  astigmatism.  If you would like to learn more about LASIK please call, Stacey, our LASIK coordinator at 319-377-2222, ext. 308.

Learn more about one of the most common vision problems from the eye doctors at Iowa EyeCare.

By Dr. David Christensen

Astigmatism is the most common ‘refractive’ vision problem that I see in my patients. Astigmatism occurs when the front surface of the eye has a non-spherical curvature. Instead, the front surface of the eye is more flat along one axis and more curved on the opposite axis, 90-degrees away. For this reason, astigmatism correction is called “cylinder” power.

Most often, Astigmatism is hereditary. Other causes of astigmatism include eye disease, injury, or surgery to the eyes.

Glasses and contact lenses are the most common methods I use for correcting astigmatism. Astigmatism can be permanently treated using LASIK surgery. Our Robins, Iowa, location may be reached by calling 319-294-8888 if you would like to learn more about LASIK surgery.

Re-Posted From the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

By Chris Schroeder

The state of Iowa continues to ignore the fact that vision screenings in school can prevent many current and future problems for our children. Kids need to see to learn.

Considering that nearly 80 percent of what a child learns the first 12 years of life is through vision, good eyesight is an essential part of a child’s education. So, when a vision problem is overlooked, a child goes through life in a blurry fog, with poor grades and potential behavior issues.

It is disheartening to know that Iowa is one of only 10 states that does not require a vision screening or examination to ensure school-aged children are ready to learn.

Iowa spends thousands of dollars annually to educate each child in our school system, but we fail to ensure that they can see. In addition to wasting state funding, we have disregarded the clear connection between vision problems and learning disabilities along with behavior issues. Nearly 80 percent of children with learning disabilities and 70 percent of juvenile delinquents have an undiagnosed vision problem.

The newly elected Iowa Legislature has the opportunity to ensure that every dime we invest in our children’s education is being put to good use by requiring vision screenings at every school during the first and third grades.

This legislation is supported by Prevent Blindness Iowa (PBI) and other organizations who understand the importance of our children being visually prepared to learn. PBI, a voluntary health organization dedicated to the prevention of blindness and the preservation of sight, provides free vision screenings to nearly 20,000 Iowa children annually to detect common eye problems. Once a vision problem is detected through a vision screening, these children are sent to an eye doctor for a comprehensive exam to ensure their vision is corrected.

Not only do these screenings assist in learning, but they can also detect a vision problem that can cause permanent sight loss if left untreated. With one in four school-aged children experiencing a vision problem, we can’t afford to let these children slip through the cracks and suffer from vision problems that can have lifelong consequences.

Iowa has fallen behind other states on investing in our children’s vision health. The Iowa Legislature has the power to help ensure each child has the opportunity to excel in school and become successful adults through affordable, regular vision screenings.

Our children’s health and education must continue to be our No. 1 one priority.

Chris Schroeder is president of Prevent Blindness Iowa, www.preventblindness.org/Iowa/. Comments: margaretschroeder_9@hotmail.com

What to Expect — With Your Eyes and Vision — When Your Expecting.

It is true that some women will experience changes to their vision and to their eyes during pregnancy. Most of the time these changes are minor, but for some individuals, significant and/or permanent changes may occur.

Your glasses or contact lens prescription may change due to excess fluid retention. Most of these changes are temporary and will return to normal within 6-8 weeks after delivery. If you feel that your vision has changed significantly have your eyes examined by an optometrist. The eye doctors at Iowa EyeCare are available and happy to examine your eyes when needed.

Dry Eye Syndrome is a common problem for many women.  Pregnancy has the potential to initiate or increase the symptoms of Dry Eye Syndrome.  Common symptoms of Dry Eye  include burning, dryness, redness, watering, and light-sensitivity.  Therapeutic relief is often required in the form of preservative free artificial tears or temporary punctal occlusion.

Vision changes may also indicate high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia.  Let your physician know immediately if you experience double vision, temporary missing vision or loss of vision, blurred vision, flashing lights or spots in your vision, eyelid swelling or “puffy” eyes.

If you have questions or concerns about your eyes or vision, please contact Iowa EyeCare today.  Our phone number is 319-377-2222.